Checking means for door-operating mechanism



March 27, 1928.

w. B. CROWELL CHECKING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1925 INVEN'I OR BY Mmhm ATTORNEY3 March 27, 1928.

W. B. CROWELL CHECKING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W 6W ATTORNEYS Filed June 1923 Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

1,664,246 ,UN S T S PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM B. CEOWELL, on NEW YORK-151". Y.

onnemne means FOR noon-ornsa rme m'n'onAmsivr I Application filed anneal, 1923. Serial at; 646,779.

present invention relates to a door-op-' crating mechanism; andmore particularly to mechanism in which cushioning action is attained in the movements thereof.

In the operation of doors, it is essential that the closing movement of the door he at-. tained with a yieldable force and with a' movement of the door and cushioning means may be employed for cushioning the opening movement of the door which might not be a suitable in closing'movements thereof but which are particularly adapted to attain a positive and rapid cushioningaction. The present invention 'ai1ns to provideyieldable cushioning means'in the closing movement ofdoors and the like; and a more positive delaying action such as maybe obtained by theuse of liquids in cushioning devices in the opening movement of the door. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a door operating mechanisml having cushioning means operating with afliquid for the opening movement of thedoor. I I,Another, object of the invention is to provide a door opera-ting mechanism in which the movement of the door will be rapid, and which willfnot be retarded by cushioning means beforeapproaching' the end of the stroke. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a'mechanism for operating doors and similar devices which shall be simple in operation and'ri nwhich the parts of the mechanism arere'adily accessible to be'easily regulated, and which may be maintained in operating condition with a minimum of care and" attention; p f p 1 J lV ith these and various other objects in wview, the inventioncomprises' the various features hereinafter claimed and fully described in eo'nnection' with the accompany lingdrawings, in Which l ig'l is a sectional view of a device embodying the features of the invention showingthe control valve in position for admis sion ofpressure fluid; Fig. ,2 is a detail view of a section of the device showing the operating valve in positionjfor exhaust of pressure fluid-from the Fig. 3 is a view of the device embodying the inventionshowing the manner of'atta chment' in operative position to the toggle lever' of an elevator door mechanism.

The preferred form of the invention coinprises a cylindrical casing ,12 having an up perhead 14 and a lower headld ivhich may be attached .to the casing by screw threaded connections 18 and 20, Within the casing 12 1s a piston- 22 towhicli a piston rod 24L is connected, which passes 'upwardly through an opening 26 in the upper'cylinder head 14; and through a partition 28in the cylinder having a central opening 30 therein, Surrounding the piston rod'24: and between the partition 28 and piston 22 isa helical spring 32 which may be seated atone end on a I flanged portion 23 of the piston 22 and held n place at the other end by means'ofa circular projection 29 on apartition'28. The

spring is adjusted .in position so as to be undertension and serve to return'the piston to the lower end 'of the cylinder after operatlon of the piston by means of'pressure fluid. Means are provided for admitting air or other pressurefluid below the piston 22 through a part es in the cylinderhead 16, r

the pressure fiuid'being admitted from a pipe, 34 attached to the'c'ylinder head 16,, through a valve casing 36 Which'may be formed integral, if desired; with the cylinder head 16. In the valve casing 36 is a valve 38 having a passageway or: port 40 therein for admission of pressure Tfiuid. I Vhen the valve '38islturned so that the port 40 registerswith the pipe 34- aiid with the port 42, pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinder. In the valve38is a second passageway or port39 which is preferably smaller than the port or passageway 40and which leads from the central portion of the passageway 40 radiallyoutwa'rdly to the exterior o'f'the valve. At a suitable point in the valve casing 36 isa port opening 4-1 With which the passage 40" registers when the valve is turned so that the passage 39 registers with the port 42 to permit exhaust from f the cylinder. Attached to the port-41is a regulating screw 44 having a restricted opening therein bymeans' of which exhaust through theport opening 41 maybe con- The piston 22 be provided With a leather cup or washer 46 held in place by means of a ring 47. By means'ofthe leather washer a smooth sliding actlon between the cylinder and piston is attained and leakage of fluid between the cylinder wall and the 'pitson is thereby prevented.

In order to provide for cushioning action during the forward movement of the piston corresponding to the opening of the door, I provide a cup and plunger operating with a liquid to check the forward or upwardstroke of the piston withoutcausing jar or noise. The cushioning means comprises a cup plunger or hollow piston 48 which is attached to the piston rod 24 by any suit able means such, for example, as a pin pass' ing' through a slot inthe piston rod and a corresponding slot in a' projecting member 49 inthe, base of the cup plunger. Cooperating with the cup plunger 48 is a stationary hollow plunger 50 having a neck portion 51 which maybe attached to the head l4by screw-thread connections '27 in the opening 26 inthe head. In order to prevent leakage of oil around thepiston rod 24 and the hollow; plunger 50,1 provide suitable packing 52 held in place: in the neck portionv51 of theplunger by means of acupv or collar 54 sageway 61 intheupper base member 58.

In orderto regulate passage ,of liquid through the passageways when the cup plunger 48 moves upward so as to envelop the stationary plunger 50, I providea regulating screw'62 which is adapted to pass through an opening 63 in the head 14 and an opening 64 in; thetop of the plunger cas ing The regulating screw maybe maintained at any desired position or setting by means of a lock nut 66 above the head 14. In the side walls of the plunger 50 above the base portions 56 and 58 are passages and 67 through which oil may freely pass when the cupplunger moves downwardly away from the hollow plunger 50 whereby retardation in the downward movement of the piston by the checking action is prevented. .& e

Inorder to attain proper cushioning action in the movements of the piston and the parts operatively connected thereto, a liquid such as oil or glycerine is maintained in the cup plunger and by properly adjusting the screw 62the passage of liquid through the various passages may be controlled and any desired amount of cushioning action thereby attained. Any suitable'mea'ns may be provided for placing liquid in the plunger such,

for example, as an opening 68 which may be closed by means of a plug or stopper70.

In order to prevent leakage of oil or other liquidbetween the cylinder head 14 and the cylinder casing 12, I provide a packing 72 held in place by means of a screw-threaded ring 74 which isadjustable in position on the screw-threaded portion 18 of the cylinder. Packing may also be providedaround the piston rod between the baseportions 56 and 58 as shown in Fig.1, 7

In the operation of the for example, to the usual hand operating levers 4 of an elevator door 5, the device .may be supported bymeans of a suitable,

bracket 2 attached to the elevator hatchway, and 'r'nay be connected to thetoggl'e leverthrough a lug S'attache'd to the piston rod 24 and to the said lever. The elevator door is supported as shown in the drawing, on an overhead track 6 in the ordinary manner. IVhen it is desired to open the elevator door, pressure fluid is admittedto'the cylinder casing by turning the valve 38 in position for admission, as shown in F ig. 1 of the drawings. Pressure fluid enters the cylinder'through the port 42 and forces 'the;

piston 22 upwardly against the tension of device as" applied,

the spring 32. The plunger 48 attached to the piston rod 24 moves upwardly with the movement of the'piston and enga'gesthe hol low plunger 50.- The oil inthe plunger 48 is forced into passages 5759 andfthrough the passage 61 controlled by the regulating screw 62. After the plunger 48 has moved into a positlon so as to cover the ports 65 and 67, the liquid in the plunger-48 passes.

into the interior of the hollow plunger 50 and compresses the air therein, thus assisting in-the cushioning action. By [means of the cushioning device 4850 operating-with the liquid, a strongly retarding actionis attained for the opening movement of the door.,

As long as the pressure fluid is operating upon the piston 22, the elevator door remains in open position. When it isidesired to close the door, the valve 38 is turned so that the 7 port or passage 39 registers with the port 42 and the passageway 40 registers with the opening 41 controlled by regulating screw 44. In this position exhaust takes -place from the cylinder through port i42,passage 89, passage 40 and through. the regulating" screw 44 to the atmosphere In a idown ward or return movement of the pistomlthe plunger 48 moves downwardly fromhthe plunger 50 uncovering the; ports 65 and 67.

As soon as the ports are uncovered, oil flows from the interior of the plunger 50 through the ports around the external portion of the plunger 50, and oil may then flow back into the plunger 48 without passing through the restricted passage 61 and passages 57-59 to the plunger. In the return movement of the piston 22, the air or other operating fluid below the piston is compressed due to the gradual exhaust through the restricted regulating screw 44:. The pressure fluid serves therefore to attain cushioning action in the return movement of the piston.

, It is to be understood that the form of the invention which has been describedconstitutes the preferred form thereof, but that various changes and modifications may be made in the device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

" 1. In a mechanism for controlling the movement of a door, a liquid containing chamber, a vertically disposed liquid holding vessel forming a confining wall for said chamber, a motion imparting member connecting said vessel to said door whereby movement of said door in one direction causes upward travel of said vessel, and means in said chamber tending to impede the last portion of the upward travel of said vessel said means being inoperative during the initial portion of the travel of said vessel in the upward direction.

2. In a mechanism for controlling the movement of a door, a liquid containing chamber, a vertically disposed fluid holding cup forming a confining wall for said chamber, a motion imparting member connecting said cup to said door whereby movement of said door in one direction causes upward travel of said cup, means tending to impede the last portion of the upward travel of said cup comprising a stationary member spaced from said cup when the latter is at the bottom of the'said chamber and adapted to be surrounded by the cup when the latter approaches the end of its upward travel where:

by the last portion only of the upward stroke of the cup is impeded.

3. In a mechanism for controlling the movement of a door, means for retarding the last portion of the doors travel in one direction comprising a liquid containing chamber, a vertically disposed liquid holding vessel forming a confining wall for said chamber, a motion imparting member con-' necting said vessel to said door whereby movement of said door in one direction causes upward travel-of said vessel, means tending to impede the last portion of the upward travel of said vessel comprising a stationary member. enveloped by said vessel only when the latter approachesthe end 

